Mechanical starting devices for miniature engines



May 5, 1964 v. M. GAROFALO MECHANICAL STARTING DEVICES FOR MINIATURE ENGINES Filed Dec. 5, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2 4

INVEN TOR. VITO M. GAROFALO ATTORNEY May 5, 1964 V. M. GAROFALO 1 MECHANICAL STARTING DEVICES FOR MINIATURE ENGINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5, 1960 INVENTOR. VITO M. GAROFALO HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,131,682 MECHANICAL STARTING DEVICES FOR MINIATURE ENGINES Vito M. Garofalo, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Louis Cohen, Chicago, Ill. Filed Dec. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 73,758 117 Claims. (Cl. 123-179) This invention relates to starting devices for internal combustion engines and more particularly to mechanical starters for miniature high speed engines used to propel hobby vehicles such as airplanes, automobiles, boats and the like, although it may be employed with equal advantage for other purposes.

It contemplates more especially the provision of a simple, dependable and ultra-safe engine or motor starting device for toy and hobby craft which eliminates the dis advantages, weaknesses, defects and problems encountered with known starters designed for the same purpose.

It should be understood that in the hobby and/ or model vehicle industry involving miniature power propelled vehicles, the terms engines and motors are interchangeably used to designate the power plants of vehicles and are so interchangeably used in this description of the invention.

Known starters for toy or hobby engines or motors embody either a pull cord or require the operator to hold the spring driven rotor with their fingers until released to permit a loaded spring to initially drive the rotor until the motor or engine is started and takes over the driving or rotating function. This means that some degree of precaution is necessary in effecting a clean release to avoid injury to the fingers or in the case of the pull-string starter there is a constant possibility of string rupture or the displacement of the finger grasping end of the string or cord toward the prop or propeller or other moving part depending upon the vehicle to which the engine or motor is fitted. This could and at times does result in operating failures and injury to the fingers of the user or operator who may not be as careful as the maneuver requires or is subjected to the nuisance and expense of replacing the pull-cord.

With the teachings of the present invention, all of these disadvantages are overcome and a simple, dependable and ultra-safe mechanical starter is provided that does not involve pull strings or cords nor requires the operators fingers to hold the loaded spring starting prop or moving part on the vehicle to which the motor and its starter is applied to initiate the power operation thereof. A control mechanism is provided in conjunction with simple and effective starting mechanism or instrumentalities which effectively holds a loaded spring starter and remotely releases these instrumentalities to avoid finger injury entirely, insure starting with every attempt, and enables a novice to start the motor with every attempt with as much facility as an experienced user.

One object of the present invention is to simplify the construction and improve the operation of devices of the character mentioned.

Another object is to provide improved instrumentalities for starting toy engines or motors which are applied to miniature vehicles or craft such as but not limited to rnodel airplanes, boats and automobiles operated for relaxation and amusement.

Still another object is to provide an improved, more simple, and less expensive toy motor starter that is ultrasafe and dependable in operation.

A further object is to provide a starter release that retains the instrumentalities ready for operation without involving the operators fingers in proximity or contact with any moving parts.

Still further object is to provide a novel combination of centrifugally responsive clutching and de-clutching means with spring and retainer-release means which provide an inexpensive, dependable and improved motor-starter combination that is ultra-safe and dependable in operation.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description of an illustrated embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a model vehicle such as a toy airplane with parts broken away to show the starter-retainer control for a structure embodying features of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view in elevation of the prop and motor end of the vehicle illustrated in FIGURE 1, and showing the starter mechanism embodying features of the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view in elevation taken substantially along line III-III of FIGURE 2, with the parts in a relative position.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line IVIV of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along line V--V of FIGURE 4 and similar to FIGURE 3, but with the parts in a relatively high speed position during either the completion stage of the starter operation or driven by the motor.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along line VI-VI of FIGURE 2 and showing a detail of the starter retainer-release mechanism.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along line VIIVII of FIGURE 6 and showing the retainerrelease pin end in operative engagement with a pawltooth to retain the spring loaded in readiness for release.

The structure selected for illustration is not intended to serve as a limitation upon the scope or teachings of the invention, but is merely illustrative thereof. There may be considerable variations and adaptations of all or part of the teachings depending upon the dictates of commercial practice. The present invention comprises a starter mechanism for a low mass and high speed internal combustion engine or the like applied to any suitable vehicle such as but not limited to a model airplane It? to which an engine or motor 11 is fitted in a manner well known in the art for many years. A rotatable member 12 such as a crank shaft extends from the motor block 11 for power operation responsive thereto in order to revolve, in this instance, a prop or propeller 13 extending through a nose portion 14 comprising an extension of the design and configuration of the airplane fuselage It), neither of which are a part of the present invention but are utilized as the environment for the motor 10 and a starter mechanism 15 to be presently described.

The starter mechanism comprises, in this instance, a spring confining housing It; fitted to a reduced annular end 17 of the motor housing crank shaft bearing 13. The spring housing has an annular chamber 19 that defines a tubular axial sleeve 19 that is press-fitted on the annular end 17 of the motor sleeve 13. A circular plate member 20 with an axial opening 21 therein, is press-fitted onto a knurled cylindrical shoulder 22 provided on the extremity of the rotatable member or crankshaft 12. The plate member 20 has, in this instance, the prop or propeller 13 disposed adjacent thereto for retention on the rotatable member, in this instance the crank shaft 12, by means of a threaded fastener stud 23. It should be noted that on model vehicles which do not employ a prop or propeller, there would be substituted an enlarged circular finger manipulating member which is preferably though not essentially knurled to provide for finger rotation. This could be a flywheel for which the propeller 13 serves in the matter of a model airplane to provide the necessary load in order that the motor 11 should be safe against excessive speed of rotation which is usually termed as running away with itself.

As shown, the plate member 20 is, in this instance, provided with an annular circular groove 24 in the face 25 thereof which confronts the spring housing 16 and communicates with the annular spring confining chamber 19 therein. A convoluted cylindrically shaped spring 26 is confined in the annular chamber 19 of the housing 16, and in this instance is provided with a linear and rearwardly projecting extremity that extends through an aperture 28 in the end wall of the housing 16 to serve as an anchor therefor. The other extremity of the spring 26 terminates in a laterally projecting hook 29 disposed in the annular or circular groove 24 in the face of the circular member or spring loading plate 20. One or more pins, in this instance three, such as the steel short pins 30 are movably and radially confined in slightly larger bores 31 drilled or otherwise provided equidistantly in the circular plate member 25 to be interrupted by the annular groove 24 so that the pins 30 can be displaced into and out of engagement with or in the path of the lateral spring hook 29 responsive to the rotation of the plate member 20 and the consequent influence of centrifugal force exerted thereon as such exceeds the force of gravity as each pin 30 assumes an upright vertical position in the plate member 20. Thus, the rotation of the plate member 20 determines the radial position of the pin or pins 30 within the bore or bores 31 depending upon the number of pins involved in each plate member 20 as determined by the dictates of commercial practice.

The pins 30 are limited in their outward movement responsive to the spinning rotation of the circular plate member 20 by any suitable means such as the press-fitted ring 32 provided on the periphery of the plate member 20 or for that matter the peripheral edge thereof may be swaged over or the bores '31 blocked in any other suitable manner as commercial practice may dictate. When the plate member 20 is stationary or manually rotated in a clockwise direction (viewed from the propeller end thereof) or a counterclockwise direction viewed from FIGURES 3 and 7, the pins 30 will be in the path of the annular groove 24 and the nearest pin will be engaged by the spring hook 29 so that further rotation of the propeller in the same direction with the fingers will load the spring 26 and build up opposite turning energy therem.

In order to retain the relatively rotating parts in their operative or potentially operative position with the spring partially or wholly loaded by manually turning the plate member 20 at a low speed of rotation so that the pins 30 will not be urged outwardly by centrifugal force, control means such as a rod 33 (FIGURES 2 and 6) having a rounded projecting extremity 34 is slidably mounted in a bore 35 through the spring housing 16 along a position parallel to its axial sleeve 17, and a compression spring 36 envelops the rod 33 between a shoulder 37 thereon and a reduced bore end shoulder 38 in the housing 16- to normally spring urge the retainer and release rod 33 in the direction of the plate member 20 to engage the inner surface 25 thereof. To this end, the plate member surface 25 is provided with a plurality of pawl-like engaging ratchet teeth 39, in this instance three, which are in the path of and engageable by the control rod detent end or extremity 34 to retain the plate member stationary and against rotation in the direction opposite to winding or loading the spring 26 while permitting its rotation for that purpose by having the rod detent 34 spring urged against the ratchet teeth 39 to ride thereover in the direction away from the high-side or abutment end of the teeth 39.

It should be noted that the retainer-release rod 33 extends rearwardly through the housing 16 to terminate, in this instance, in an enclosed loop 40 which enables the retainer-release rod 33 to be remotely actuated or adjusted by any suitable means such as a vertically disposed wire member or shaft 41 having a laterally offset portion 42 with straight end SS-44 provided with suitable sleeves 45-46 which project through the upper and lower surfaces of the fuselage or body 10 which preferably though not essentially have guide bosses formed therein such as the reinforced bored bosses 4748. By shifting the shaft 41 upwardly as shown in FIGURE 6, the retainer or release rod 33 is permitted to be displaced forwardiy toward the plate member 20 under the urge of its spring 36 for engagement with the surface teeth 39 and thus permit the plate member 20 to be manually rotated in a clockwise direction viewed from the propeller end. This is accomplished in the case of a model airplane by rotating the propeller itself while in a vehicle which does not have a propeller such as an automobile, the plate member 20 or a flywheel usually used in mini-ature automobiles and boats, would be rotated directly by finger manipulation thereof. The rod detent 34 would thus hold the plate member 20 and housing 16 in any position or extent of spring loading by manually twisting the plate member 20 to the desired extent or preferably until the spring 26 is fully loaded.

The starter assembly 15 is thus ready for the effective starting of the motor 11 by depressing the button 45 downwardly and disengaging the detent 34 from the plate member 29, and permitting the loaded spring 26 to rotate the plate member 20 in an opposite direction at a speed which will start the operation of the motor 11 under its own power to continue the rotation of the rotatable member or crankshaft 12. At this point of starting, the plate member pins 30 are displaced radially outwardly along the bores 31 to disengage the spring hook 29 and thus de-clutch the spring 26. When the motor crankshaft comes to rest again at the determination of the operator or the full consumption of the motor fuel, the plate member 20 will also become stationary and permit the clutching pins 30 to radially move toward the axis of the plate member 20 so that their ends will obstruct the annular groove 24 therein and occupy a position in the path of the hooked end 29 of the spring 26. Thus, the parts will again be in their initial position in readiness for manually loading the spring 26 and repeating the motor starting operation by releasing the plate engaging detent 34 by depressing the button 45 which is removed from the propeller :13 and thus never endangers the fingers of the operator. This is made possible because the prop or propeller :13 is never held by the fingers at the moment of release to start the motor shaft 12.

With this arrangement, a remotely positioned retainerrelease control is provided which insures complete safety, provides for dependable starting without any required timing or skill, and enables the starter to be loaded in readiness for motor starting at any time without advance preparation. This insures momentary readiness which is important in contests and other exhibitions; however, the ultra-safe use of a starter of this character by novices without any previous experience is of utmost importance. The simplicity of construction affords maximum dependability and is conducive of continued operation without any potential failures such as experienced with pull-string starters and finger release spring loading starters.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it must be understood that my invention is capable of considerable variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. 1, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

1 claim:

1. A starting device of the character described comprising in combination with a motor, of a rotatable member operatively connected for power rotation by said motor, a stationary spring housing fixed concentrically relative to said rotatable member, a plate member secured to said rotatable member to confront said spring housing, means move-ably mounted on said plate member for positioning responsive to the notation of said plate member,

spring means interposed between said housing and said plate member for engagement and disengagement with said moveable means on said plate member depending upon the speed of notation of the latter, and manual starter control means for connecting and disconnecting said housing and plate member to enable their relative rotation in one direction to load said spring means and to permit the loaded spring rotation of said plate member in the opposite direction to turn said rotatable member to start the motor operation thereof.

2. A starting device of the character defined in claim 1 wherein the movably mounted means are responsive to the rotation of said plate member and the speed of rotation to determine the position thereof for engagement or disengagement with said spring means.

3. A starting device of the character defined in claim 1 wherein the plate member is provided with a plurality of teeth in the path of said starter control means for normally maintaining said plate member and housing in connected relation.

4. A starting device of the character defined in claim 2 wherein the movably mounted means comprise one or more pins radially disposed in bores provided in said plate member to communicate with the spring confining chamber in said housing.

5. A starting device of the character defined in claim 3 wherein the plate member teeth are provided in the surface thereof confronting the spring housing.

6. A starting device of the character defined in claim 5 wherein the starter control means comprise a pin movable toward and from said plate member teeth to control the loading and unloading of said spring means.

7. A starting device of the character described in claim 4 wherein the plate member and spring housing are journalled for rotary relative movement in interfitting confronting relation, and said pins are positioned by the centrifugal force of plate member rotation for engagement and disengagement with said spring means.

8. A starting device of the character described comprising in combination with a motor, of a member rotatable with said motor, a stationary spring housing fixed concentrically relative to said rotatable member on said motor, a plate member secured to said rotatable member to confront said spring housing, a spring in said housing with one end anchored thereto and the other end projecting in the path of said plate member, movable means on said plate member for engaging and disengaging said projecting spring end depending upon the speed of rotation of said plate member, and adjustable manual means for connecting and disconnecting said plate member and loaded spring housing to enable the relative rotation thereof in one direction for loading said spring and to permit the loaded spring rotation of said rotatable member in the opposite direction to start the motor rotation thereof responsive to the unloading of said spring.

9. A starting device of the character defined in claim I? 8 'wherein said movable means comprise one or more pins radially displaceable in bores provided in said plate member to communicate with the spring chamber of said housing for engagement and disengagement with the projecting end of said spring responsive to the speed of rotation of said plate member.

10. A starting device of the character defined in claim 9 wherein the plate member and spring housing are journalled relative to each other in interfitting confronting relation.

11. A starting device of the character defined in claim 10 wherein the plate member has one or more pawl engaging recesses in the surface thereof for cooperation with a pin reciprocably mounted in said spring housing to enable the relative rotation thereof in one direction for loading said spring and to permit the spring rotation in the opposite direction to start the motor rotation of said plate member responsive to unloading said spring.

12. A starting device of the character defined in claim 11 wherein said housing pin is displaceable in and out of engagement with said pawl engaging recesses by manually displaceable means accessible exteriorly of said housing.

13. A starting device of the character described comprising in combination with a motor, of a member rotatable with said motor, a stationary spring housing fixed concentrically to said rotatable member on said motor, a plate member journalled in said spring housing in confronting relation therewith, a spring in said housing and having an end disposed in the path of said plate member, ratchet means for connecting and disconnecting said housing and plate member to provide for the loading of said spring by the manual rotation of said plate member in one direction and to permit the spring rotation thereof in the opposite direction for starting the motor to drive said rotatable member, and interengaging means disposed between said plate member and spring projecting end responsive to the speed of plate member rotation to enable the loading and unloading of said spring to start the motor.

14. A starting device defined in claim 13 wherein the ratchet means include a series of plate member teeth and an engaging pawl pin mounted in said spring housmg.

15. A starting device defined in claim 14 wherein the interengaging means comprise a plurality of radially disposed pins movably mounted in bores provided in said plate member to move radially responsive to the speed of rotation of said plate member to engage the spring end for the manual loading of said spring by slowly rotating said plate member in one direction and to dis-' engage said spring end by the spring rotation of said plate member in the opposite direction at a comparatively higher speed of rotation.

16. A starting device for high speed miniature engines used in model vehicles and the like, comprising an engine, a power driven shaft rotatively mounted in and rotative relative to a stationary portion of said engine, a coil spring member surrounding said shaft and having one end engageable With the stationary portion of said engine, a driven member on said shaft and engageable with the other end of said spring member when said shaft is inoperative responsive to said engine, and manual control means engageable and disengageable with said driven member, whereby energy may be stored in said coil spring member in one position of said manual control means and for urging said shaft to rotate in a normal direction to start the engine operation thereof in another position of said control means when said coil spring member has been wound to provide stored energy therein.

17. A starting device for high speed miniature engines used in model vehicles and the like, comprising an engine, a power driven shaft rotatively mounted in and rotative relative to a stationary portion of said engine,

7 a coil spring member surrounding said shaft and having one end engageable with the stationary portion of said engine, a driven member on said shaft, centrifugal means on said driven member and engageable With the other end of said coil spring member when said driven member and shaft are inoperative, and reciprocably mounted manual control means engageable and disengageable with said driven member, whereby energy may be stored in said coil spring member in one position of said manual control means and for urging said shaft to rotate in 10 2,955,584

8 a normal direction with said driven member to start the engine operation thereof in another position of said control means when said coil spring member has been wound to store energy therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS De Groat Mar. 8, 1960 MeRoskey July 26, 1960 Vakos et a1. Oct. 11, 1960 

1. A STARTING DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING IN COMBINATION WITH A MOTOR, OF A ROTATABLE MEMBER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED FOR POWER ROTATION BY SAID MOTOR, A STATIONARY SPRING HOUSING FIXED CONCENTRICALLY RELATIVE TO SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER, A PLATE MEMBER SECURED TO SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER TO CONFRONT SAID SPRING HOUSING, MEANS MOVEABLY MOUNTED ON SAID PLATE MEMBER FOR POSITIONING RESPONSIVE TO THE ROTATION OF SAID PLATE MEMBER, SPRING MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID HOUSING AND SAID PLATE MEMBER FOR ENGAGEMENT AND DISENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MOVEABLE MEANS ON SAID PLATE MEMBER DEPENDING UPON THE SPEED OF ROTATION OF THE LATTER, AND MANUAL STARTER CONTROL MEANS FOR CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING SAID HOUSING AND PLATE MEMBER TO ENABLE THEIR RELATIVE ROTATION IN ONE DIRECTION TO LOAD SAID SPRING MEANS AND TO PERMIT THE LOADED SPRING ROTATION OF SAID PLATE MEMBER IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO TURN SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER TO START THE MOTOR OPERATION THEREOF. 